Unlimited Digital Access: Only $0.99 For Your First Month

Engle will attempt to qualify in the 100, 200, 400 and the 1600 relay at the 6A Goddard regional.

"Generally, you're a little bit concerned running anyone in that many events," Newton coach Ted Remsberg said. "But (Yeargin) is the type of kid that can handle it."

Counting preliminary races, each will run six races. That can create a strain for anyone.

"We ask a lot out of Natali for just being a freshman," Goddard coach Brian Wetta said. "She has a tough load, probably the heaviest load out of anybody on our team. But she's just been fantastic and she's really developing as an athlete."

"I think the thing that has helped La'tiyera is she's been in a weights class all year," Remsberg said. "She's very, very strong. I think the time she put in the weight room has really helped her out a lot."

Newton reloads — After graduating a hefty senior class last year, Remsberg actually thought his girls team would be the contender this season.

Turns out, the boys team wasn't about to take a season off from contending. Last Friday, the boys won the Division I crown in the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail League.

And they did it with mostly underclassmen.

"It's been a really, really good year for a really young team," Remsberg said. "We don't have many seniors, but I think the senior leadership has been very good and they've set the tone for the work ethic for our younger athletes."

Cristian Valdez and Tyler Robinson have continued Newton's budding tradition as a sprinting school.

The top seven girls 3200 times in Class 5A are reside in the Carroll regional, which will be held today at Friends.

"It's going to be especially tough this year to qualify," Nielsen said. "And it's almost the same way in the 1600."

Bishop Carroll features three of the top seven, which also includes Valley Center's Morgan Wedekind, Kapaun's Mackenzie Maki, Great Bend's Rubi Torrez and Liberal's Destyni Lucero.

That has forced Nielsen to rearrange his lineup.

"I had to take one of my runners out of the 3200, so she can concentrate on the 1600," Nielsen said. "It's caused me to do a few changes, where normally I would have let them double up in more events. Now I have to keep them to one."

The regional also features defending 5A boys champion Hays.

"I thought they were going to rebuild for at least a year," Carroll boys coach Cory Swords said. "But I guess not. They didn't rebuild, they reloaded. They're the team to beat in 5A right now."